You'll briefly meet "Fuckface McFuckall the Fuckface Boy" - and wonder what he's been up to.
But let's take a step up. Commercial radio is so bad that I end up listening to sports and talk radio. It's so bad that, driving, you almost weep when a song comes on that you like. I've got the country's fifth biggest city on my doorstep and there's 57 channels and nothing above a drone.
If network news represents the girl in Flowers In The Attic - then commercial radio is Terry Schiavo - lifeless and twitching for years but no one will admit it.
Fuck commercial radio (and I'm truly sorry about Schiavo)
So the world's become a mob of iPod people. As sinister as that sounds it's not a bad thing because no one is in control but you. The variety and mix of songs and entertainment iPods offer are the ultimate niche market.
At the same time, if you grabbed anyone's iPod and flicked it on you'd like something about it. You'd like it because it would reflect Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" next to Blind Melon's "B Girl" next to Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" and Selfish Fools (right Mondo?) cover of "My Prerogative." In short, it would be what radio used to be - a mix that might capture five of your moods and another eight next time you turn it on.
As a welcome derivative we have podcasting where the DJ actual has ... gasp ... a personality. Many people will not remember that this was ever the case.
This gentle introduction opens the door to one Mondo Irlando.
The door has opened, like the Ark in Raiders of ... to two podcasts and 75 minutes and 7 seconds of an Irish Wolf Hound's accent and growl.
And the first time you listen to Mondo - aka Aaron aka The Duke aka go search his site for his real name - fascination, relief and inspiration are the overriding feelings as you realize what radio could be.
The second time you listen, the fast forward button is your favorite friend.
Podcast 1 - 40:46
Soundtrack to a Primal Scream
Ice-T - Ice Ice Motherfucking T, Lucinda Williams - Too Cool To Be Forgotten, Derek and Clive, Selfish Cunt - My Prerogative and Billy Bragg - You Woke Up My Neighborhood
If you didn't know better, the first 14 seconds of introduction from Mondo and his Irish glide would take you back to the voice of World War II news broadcasts.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
you'll get no argument from me on this temple.
the duke's podcasts remind me of what radio used to be like.
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
lord! holy shit, man, this was a suprise and a half, let a fella announce. Jesus, thank you, man. I dunno, that was just lovely. thank you. good god.
3 - Temple Stark
Fun eh?
On my own site I'm going to go straight to - "If you want more go to extended entry. But it made a lot more sense here.
4 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
also, i find myself chuckling that someone finally sees the worth of Selfish Fools. I think their album is fantastic, as evidenced in the choice of the bobby brown single. I often quote the NME review of said track;
"proof that selfish cunt are the best band in the world, until you actually hear them, at which point they become the worst."
nonsense, i say.
5 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
can i just say, man, this sentence;
"I've got the country's fifth biggest city on my doorstep and there's 57 channels and nothing above a drone."
is just beautiful. funny how a fella can miss these things first time around. that's just a stunningly evocative piece of wordplay.
6 - Eric Berlin
Temple -- This is the best piece that I've ever read of yours: funny, smart, and true as hell. The podcasting / iPod phenomenon is as much about sucky free radio as it is about ease of use and technology.
And it's cool as hell that you promoted the Duke's show at the same time.
Let me add in my plug: it's great. The Duke's podcast is right on the cutting edge of what you want: good music, some laughs, and the best accent this side of the Atlantic.
7 - Temple Stark
I guess it's a sign of my sickness but I'm almost addicted to tuning in to the Mondo podcast. I'd sponsor it if making money wouldn't somehow f*** it up for him.
Thanks for enjoying the writing. Absurd rolls of the fingers easily. It's what I work least at - a stream of consciousness thing. You don't get to do the absurb in newspaper writing but once a decade.